***AZCOM Class of 2011***

[Pooh Chong]

Hi Pooh Chong,

Thanks for the info! I see you have lived on campus for 2 years. How much do you spend on electricity per month? From what the housing office tells us, living on campus will be saving students a significant amount of money. Also, is it true that students who sign a long term contract get their summer rent reduced?

Thanks again for all your input and have a great day!!

If you sign up for a long-term contract then during the summer months your rent 1/2 normal. This is pretty sick deal for most people. I lived in a two bedroom apartment (3rd floor luxury) and I paid $250 a month. My roommate was gone the entire summer...and the great thing about the plan was that I was only responsible for my half of the rent..and my half got cut in half. If you are leaving for the summer, there is a good chance you can get someone to sub-let from you as well (either other classmates staying / maybe 3rd year students)...but I don't think you are officially supposed to "sub-let"...just so you know.


Mmm....Depending on who you are...you can save money in two ways.

1) You can sign up for Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. It's insurance for those who can't afford it. And yes, you make no money. You qualify. Some people do it, some people don't...it's not hard. I have friends who do this and I was close to completing the application process but decided not to do it. I got lost going to my "interview" and just decided it was fate telling to just stick with my health insurance. If you get an interview, you automatically got in...you just have to go meet them.

http://www.ahcccs.state.az.us/Services/CoverageGroups/Family.asp

2) Yo ucan sign up for APS Energy Support Program (E-3). APS is the energy provider for the area. Because you are a student and again, make no money...you are eligible. The application is incredibly easy. It's good for up to 1 year, then you re-apply. I did this when I lived on-campus, it really did save some money. When I lived on-campus you were responsible for your own energy bill, so i could take advantage of this program. I'm not sure if that is the current situation...if it is, then this is what you want. If you live off-campus, this is what you want!

http://www.aps.com/aps_services/residential/lowincome/LowIncome_2.html

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[DocBR]

Pooh-Chong,

Is there a laptop requirement/recommendation?

If not, do you think having one is important (verses a computer at home)?

Thanks,

BR

 

[Pooh Chong]

Pooh-Chong,

Is there a laptop requirement/recommendation?

If not, do you think having one is important (verses a computer at home)?

Thanks,

BR

There is no laptop requirement/recommendation.

I think it's nice to have a computer at home, but for me I could not have lived without a laptop. I guess the right answer depends on how you plan to study.

I did not study at home. It was often in the cafeteria / library / barnes&nobles / etc. Having a laptop was really important in the way that I studied. Most of the lectures are made available as either powerpoint presentations or PDF files. I did a lot of group study, so I would put the slides right on my laptop and we would talk everything out. I know a lot of students whether they studied alone or in a group liked to use their laptops for this reason. There were, however, many excellent students whom did not have laptops and just studied off their notes. So it depends...

For me, not having a laptop would have completely changed the way I studied.

If you do get a laptop, it isn't necessary for it to be top-notch...I just used mine for lectures and you don't need high-end computing power for that. I would say that weight & size become more of an issue, as you will be lugging around that beast for a couple years.

If you aren't sure, then you can afford to wait. I didn't get my laptop until Nov of my MSI year.

 

[Testy McAterson]

awesome info--thanks so much!

 

[DocBR]

awesome info

Very awesome. Thanks Pooh-Chong!

 

[Testy McAterson]

i've started looking at small 2-3 bedroom houses in the area around the campus (preferably within possible biking distance). i'm viewing a couple this weekend but i'm not wanting to actually move until summer (for financial reasons). i'll definitely be looking for a roommate when all is said and done. i've just started looking so this post is kind of useless (sorry) but i'll probably be advertising myself (that sounds wrong but y'all know what i mean) and "the room" in the somewhat near future.

 

[DocBR]

check your mail, friends, it looks like we get a "complimentary set of MWU scrubs"... and we don't even need to apply for a credit card.

How were you notified of this? I want some free scrubs!

 

[Doc2007]

How were you notified of this? I want some free scrubs!

I got snail mail today. I am mailing it back tomorrow.

 

[trulypeppy]

i am an ms4 with a 1056 sq ft townhouse 4 miles from campus, 2 bedroom 2.5 bath, new interior painting. near highways 17 and 101 so you will not have much trouble getting to any of your 3rd and 4th yr rotations. great for single person, married couple, or 1 child families. easy and quick commute to campus, could ride bike if you wanted. if willing to purchase without a realtor will write you out a check for $2,000 dollars upon closing (want to save on realtor fees). have not yet determined the price, but if looking for such a home PM me before you come to arizona looking for a home and we can set up a time to come check out the home.
good luck you all.

I'd be interested if you have any photos.

 

[trulypeppy]

Pooh-Chong,

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

Yeah that was great information!!! Are you going to be available in a few months to give a seminar on all your words of wisdom? I never would have realized I even had the potential of having questions for all that had you not been so detailed with your explanation!

 

[hitemup]

I am a MS III as well and I want to follow up on what Pooh Chong said about doing away rotations. I have heard from some of the MS II's that starting with their class next year that they will only be allowed to 3 rotations out of state during their 3rd year. If there are any 2nd year's that can confirm this then that would be great. I don't think there is a limit for 4th year since you will be doing audition rotations then and those might be out of state. I have done almost all of my rotations in the Phoenix area and have been very happy. I did put in some time and effort, though, to find good rotations. I also think they might be getting some more inpatient peds rotations in the next year, so that will help the people interested in peds. Good luck and welcome to AZCOM!

 

[Pooh Chong]

Sam...how ya been? Haven't seen you in a few months...i've been gone since December.

Phoenix Children's Hospital has opened up a few rotations for our current class, I know of two of my classmates that are doing them this year. Hopefully, this will continue and there will be more next year...but who knows.

Anyone else have questions?

I'm on my OB rotation and I have so much time that I came back on this board because I was sooooooooooooooo bored, once I'm out...I may be out. Ask questions now...

 

[DocBR]

On my interview day, I spoke with a MSIV who said that the rotations that the school has to offer have something to be desired and that her recommendation is to set up your own rotations - which sounded great......

Until the final presentation of the day when they told us starting with our class we must complete only school approved rotations.

Are they that bad?
What is wrong with the rotations?

 

[DOMb]

hey docbr,

I think we can still do our rotations away, but they have to be affilliated with the school. from what i have been told, the school has rotations setup in different states, and we can do these as part of our rotations. But we are only allowed to do 3 rotations we set up apart from the rotations AZCOM has established. can anyone confirm this....thanks!!!

 

[DocBR]

hey docbr,

I think we can still do our rotations away, but they have to be affilliated with the school. from what i have been told, the school has rotations setup in different states, and we can do these as part of our rotations. But we are only allowed to do 3 rotations we set up apart from the rotations AZCOM has established. can anyone confirm this....thanks!!!

Yeah, that is kind of why I am confused. The MSIV had said that she thought for instance the psych rotation was lacking and because of that she set up her own rotation that was not affiliated with the school.

But now we cannot do that?

 

[hitemup]

Hey Chong- I'm good, heading to michigan next month for a hematology rotation. You coming back at all before lectures?

DocBR- the rotations aren't all bad. like i said in my last post you need to do some leg work to get the good ones. things get better every year, so by the time you are up for rotations there should be more inpatient ones available to your class. there are computers in the clinical ed dept that you can look at to see reviews of different docs when the time comes. i used that and it has helped me get pretty good rotations. the one good thing about our school vs other schools including allopathic is that we have less rotations with call third year, so you aren't as tired as other third years, which some of my friends at allopathic schools are jealous of. our school also only requires 4 wks of surgery 3rd yr vs 12 wks at others, so if you don't want to do surgery you'd be happy. we also get 2 months to use as electives, which other schools don't get, so this way you can explore other options you are thinking of like ophtho, ortho, ent, er or just do some more peds or medicine. pm me if you have other questions.

 

[Pooh Chong]

hematology, eh?

I'm in Michigan right now...@ Botsford. I'm coming back wednesday of this week. Golf??? Where in MI are you going?

I've got ER and OMM c Shoup, left.

 

[azcom07]

i've started looking at small 2-3 bedroom houses in the area around the campus (preferably within possible biking distance). i'm viewing a couple this weekend but i'm not wanting to actually move until summer (for financial reasons). i'll definitely be looking for a roommate when all is said and done. i've just started looking so this post is kind of useless (sorry) but i'll probably be advertising myself (that sounds wrong but y'all know what i mean) and "the room" in the somewhat near future.

i'm an ms4 with a 2 bedroom 2.5 bath condo for sale. it has two bedrooms upstairs each with its own adjoing bathroom plus a half bath downstairs. it is 4 miles from the school and is an easy commute by bike or car. it is very close to both highways 17 and 101 for good commute to anywhere in the valley for your 3rd and 4th yr rotations. to save on realtor fees i am willing to cut you a check for $2,000 on closing if you come without a realtor. it has new piping throughout the entire townhouse, newly painted. it would be perfect for two students. i am meeting with a realtor next monday and will be listed on MLS on monday. PM me if you are interested.

 

[Testy McAterson]

azcom07--what are your cross streets?

anyone else trying to work their way through the financial aid stuff and stumped over which lender to use? are you planning on using the school or someone else?

 

[whatdapho]

azcom07--what are your cross streets?

anyone else trying to work their way through the financial aid stuff and stumped over which lender to use? are you planning on using the school or someone else?

I probably should have done more research on the various lenders but I went ahead and chose the lenders recommended fby AZCOM for both Stafford and Grad plus loans. I should have minored in finance bc that stuff gives me a headache.

 

[DocBR]

anyone else trying to work their way through the financial aid stuff and stumped over which lender to use? are you planning on using the school or someone else?

I also used the school as my lender. I was sold on the no origination fees/ rated 5th in the country as a lender stuff.

 

[trulypeppy]

I chose the AZCOM lenders for a few reasons:
a) I've used Sallie Mae for my undergrad and graduate loans and have been very satisfied
b) They are good deals
c) Using AZCOM as a lender is good because you don't have to pay the loan origination fee (which from my time in grad school I have learned is a bad thing to have to pay)

Just make sure you have your FAFSA filled out in time!!!

 

[PAfuturdoc]

azcom07--what are your cross streets?

anyone else trying to work their way through the financial aid stuff and stumped over which lender to use? are you planning on using the school or someone else?

Yea, I also went with the school's lender...it just seemed easier and a lot more convenient. You might want to check w/ the Financial aid office b/c I think some of that stuff (mainly the FAFSA) was due last Friday if you wanted to be eligible for certain scholarships.

Has everyone else already received their Housing apps??? I called yesterday and they said that they were basically full and it would be pointless to even apply... wtf?

anyone want to rent a house instead of an apartment?? It seems like it might be cheaper and probably much nicer than renting from some of the nearby apartment complexes... let me know if that interests anyone...

 

[Sarikate]

I'm also using the AZCOM lender for Staffords and PLUS. Submitted my FAFSA last week and finished the Stafford loan application today. For those who are applying for a GradPLUS, are you going to submit the application after the award letters are sent out so you know exactly how much you'll need to ask for? Is that how it works? And are award letters being sent out in April?

 

[whatdapho]

I'm also using the AZCOM lender for Staffords and PLUS. Submitted my FAFSA last week and finished the Stafford loan application today. For those who are applying for a GradPLUS, are you going to submit the application after the award letters are sent out so you know exactly how much you'll need to ask for? Is that how it works? And are award letters being sent out in April?

Yo Sarikate (we should start calling each other by first names since we'll be classmates soon)

I filled out my Grad plus loan apps when I filed my FAFSA. Considering AZCOM's whopping price tag for higher education, you might want to consider Grad PLUS. Stafford sub maximum is $8500 and stafford unsub is $32,500. So that basically only covers tuition (yikes). So unless you have cash in the bank you might want to consider Grad plus now and maybe even private loans. I think award letters will be out some time in late Spring. However, I'm not sure when disbursement will be. Maybe someone attending AZCOM right now can enlighten us on that. Good luck to everyone else.

Paul

 

[Doc2007]

Yo Sarikate (we should start calling each other by first names since we'll be classmates soon)

I filled out my Grad plus loan apps when I filed my FAFSA. Considering AZCOM's whopping price tag for higher education, you might want to consider Grad PLUS. Stafford sub maximum is $8500 and stafford unsub is $32,500. So that basically only covers tuition (yikes). So unless you have cash in the bank you might want to consider Grad plus now and maybe even private loans. I think award letters will be out some time in late Spring. However, I'm not sure when disbursement will be. Maybe someone attending AZCOM right now can enlighten us on that. Good luck to everyone else.

Paul

Do we pay for the whole year or per semester?

 

[Sarikate]

Paul,
Yeah, I'm definitely going to need something extra, but I wasn't sure if I needed to apply for the PLUS loan now because I don't know how much money to ask for. Ugh, the money issues are making me nauseous!

 

[medschoolsoon]

Hey PAfuturedoc,

I'm definitely interested in renting a house. Have you searched around at all? I haven't, just apartments. Let me know if you come across anything.

Also, I will be bringing a buddy down with me so there will be two of us, unless you're a female who doesn't want to live with guys....In that case, good luck finding a place.

 

[PAfuturdoc]

Sarikate-
When I spoke with the financial aid office they said to hold off on applying for the gradplus loans until we knew what other aid we would be getting. I think they said we would be getting our award letters in May (or sometime around then).

Medschoolsoon-
I'm def. down for getting a pad together and as long as your friend is cool/normal I'm ok with that too. I'm a dude to so there wont be any gender issues. I'm from PA (hence PAfuturdoc) so I'm not exactly in the neighborhood to check out any places. However, Craigslist seems to have a lot of places in the Glendale area from what I can tell. Anywho let me know what you think.

 

[Artois]

hey docbr,

I think we can still do our rotations away, but they have to be affilliated with the school. from what i have been told, the school has rotations setup in different states, and we can do these as part of our rotations. But we are only allowed to do 3 rotations we set up apart from the rotations AZCOM has established. can anyone confirm this....thanks!!!

I graduated from AZCOM last year and we had people that pretty much left for their entire 3rd and 4th year. I think it's BS that they're making you guys stick with their 'approved' rotations. If I had to do it over again, I would have arranged all of my rotations at teaching hospitals. Some of their rotations are decent, but they need more inpatient rotations at teaching hospitals. Private attendings don't always have the time to teach, especially since AZCOM is too cheap to compensate their preceptors.

 

[Testy McAterson]

thanks for all the input, people. especially since amazon has yet to offer:
the idiot's guide to not choosing the suckiest loan company: for students who don't deny that they base cereal purchases entirely on which box has the hippest jingle, free hyper-color dinosaur spoon, or coolest mascot. yes, you who's 100% apple illiterate but want one because if nothing else they've got the entertaining 'i'm a mac'/'i'm a pc' ads that make you cause you to stop fast-forwarding your tivo and laugh every time. because, hey, without this guide you'd totally choose the lender that offered the coolest coffee tumbler, had a name like wamu, or sponsored a basketball team near you

 

[Testy McAterson]

.

 

[FMR1]

I can also confirm that they don't have to be complete till later this spring. However, the finaid counselor did mention that you can make your grad plus loan $30,000 ( essentially overshooting the cost of attendence when you add this to your stafford loans) and the school will re-adjust the grad plus loans (some value less than $30,000) to cover up to the cost of attendence later. I also stuck with Midwestern for my loans...I wanted to play it safe. Can't wait to meet all of you!

 

[jw83]

FYI...This is a letter we got from the Dean yesterday clearing up some of the changes to the rotation policy. Hope this helps.



Dear Class of 2010,



In the past two years AZCOM has made remarkable progress in the development of MS III clinical rotation sites, both in the valley and the state and at selected sites out-of -state. This significant progress in the development of new rotation sites is only part of AZCOM’s growth. We have achieved more standardization in our yearlong MS III curriculum and intend to continue our progress in this area. Additionally, we have made significant improvements in the oversight of the core clinical experiences that are provided to our MS III students and will also continue to refine this process.



As a result of the above progress and development, the Vice-President/Chief Academic Officer for Dental and Medical Education (Dennis Paulson, Ph.D.), the Associate Dean for Clinical Education (Thomas O’Hare, DO), the Associate Dean for Post Graduate Education/future AZCOM Dean (Lori Kemper, DO), and I have determined, in the best interest of you for your medical education, to implement the following policy changes for the Class of 2010 in respect to your MS III and MS IV clinical rotations.



The AZCOM Class of 2010 will be required to do all clinical rotations, with the exception of elective rotations, at approved in-system sites offered through the AZCOM Department of Clinical Education. The Department of Clinical Education may amend this requirement as necessary due to the availability of approved in-system rotations and contingent upon signed affiliation agreements with hospitals and clinics. In-system rotation sites may include both in-state and out-of-state sites that are formally affiliated and designated as such by MWU/AZCOM to provide rotation experiences. Students will be expected to provide their own travel and lodging expenses for any required in-system rotation sites.



We are proud of the fact we have grown both in and out-of-state and can now accommodate our teaching needs in facilities with greater oversight and standardization. I appreciate your understanding of this transition and look forward to continually improving your education at AZCOM.



Sincerely,



James W. Cole, D.O., FAODME

Dean, AZCOM

 

[DocBR]

jw83 -

Thanks for posting that. How do you feel those changes will impact the quality of your education?

 

[DOMb]

does this mean 4th year rotations have to be affilliated with AZCOM also?

 

[trulypeppy]

thanks for all the input, people. especially since amazon has yet to offer:
the idiot's guide to not choosing the suckiest loan company: for students who don't deny that they base cereal purchases entirely on which box has the hippest jingle, free hyper-color dinosaur spoon, or coolest mascot. yes, you who's 100% apple illiterate but want one because if nothing else they've got the entertaining 'i'm a mac'/'i'm a pc' ads that make you cause you to stop fast-forwarding your tivo and laugh every time. because, hey, without this guide you'd totally choose the lender that offered the coolest coffee tumbler, had a name like wamu, or sponsored a basketball team near you

Just thought I'd add that I got an apple when I started grad school, and the switch was way easier than I thought it'd be. Within like two weeks I was using the basic programs like an old pro, but am still learning the more "complicated" stuff like iMovie (I say complicated stuff, but my 13-year old sister has it all figured out). I absolutely LOVE it! So much everyone in my family now has one! My boyfriend bought a new Dell the same time I got my Mac, and his has already broken twice and is soooo much slower (though an upgraded laptop). If you really are thinking about getting one and need any more bragging info, I'm ready to list the reasons I love mine and would highly recommend one if you're in the market for a new computer of any type.

 

[DocFox]

Just thought I'd add that I got an apple when I started grad school, and the switch was way easier than I thought it'd be. Within like two weeks I was using the basic programs like an old pro, but am still learning the more "complicated" stuff like iMovie (I say complicated stuff, but my 13-year old sister has it all figured out). I absolutely LOVE it! So much everyone in my family now has one! My boyfriend bought a new Dell the same time I got my Mac, and his has already broken twice and is soooo much slower (though an upgraded laptop). If you really are thinking about getting one and need any more bragging info, I'm ready to list the reasons I love mine and would highly recommend one if you're in the market for a new computer of any type.

I second that. I got a free apple laptop for undergrad and was bummed about it because I had only used PCs before. Now, I love them and will be upgrading to a new macbook or macbook pro.

 

[Sarikate]

Jeez, Macs are hot!
I need to get a computer...still not sure what kind to get though. I used to use Macs, then got a PC in college. Maybe I'll have to check out the Macs again.

 

[Testy McAterson]

not gonna lie--the whole laptop world is sort of foreign to me. all i really know is i'm going to need a plug-in mouse. those touch pad things (great technical terminology, i know) piss me off. i'm great at opening every other program than the one i'm trying to click on...

but, hey, i got myself into med school, maybe i can learn how to use a mac.

i guess i need to just not let myself be "cheap." see, i could get a discounted dell through my work, but i've heard their service department leaves much to be desired and there's no way in hell i could 'build' a decent computer. my previous track record has proven that i've chosen poorly (and by 'poorly' i mean 'crappy')--a compaq that sputtered out fast and a hp that doesn't hate me quite as much but is prematurely entering a rebellious teenager phase.

what mac models would you guys suggest?

 

[Sarikate]

Hey, did anyone else apply for the NHSC scholarship? I just sent my application in a couple days ago.

 

[PAfuturdoc]

Hey, did anyone else apply for the NHSC scholarship? I just sent my application in a couple days ago.

what does NHSC stand for?

so obviously, no.

 

[DocBR]

what does NHSC stand for?

so obviously, no.

National Health Service Corps.

It is a program that provides primary care to underserved areas around the country.

Their scholarship is a commitment based scholarship - a really great one at that, if you are planning on FP, IM, Peds, OB/Gyn.

 

[Testy McAterson]

i'm wiche. which makes tuition a bit cheaper. NHSC seems like a great way to do primary care, though, without the stress of paying off big loans (they pay 100% or close to, don't they?)

 

[Sarikate]

NHSC pays for tuition, fees, instruments, a computer (if required by the school), uniforms, etc. plus a $1200 monthly stipend. Definitely not bad if primary care is your goal, which I'm 99% sure mine is, but is a big committment (if you break the contract, you have to pay back 3 times the amount they covered for you!!!). WICHE is a great program and for some reason Alaska is not considered a WICHE state for some schools, including AZCOM. I was bummed when I heard that during the financial aid presentation!

 

[DOMb]

yall know how long the 4% increase in tution is gonna last?? how many years is it going to go up?

 

[DocBR]

yall know how long the 4% increase in tution is gonna last?? how many years is it going to go up?

I would imagine it will be a 4% increase that is indefinite. The local universities in Arizona have had a policy like that as well (except they are raising tuition between 10-20% per year). For instance, at ASU when my brother started 9 years ago his tuition was ~500$ per semester, my tuition last year was $2400.

They may get increased funding from other sources, but I doubt it will effect our class.

 

[trulypeppy]

not gonna lie--the whole laptop world is sort of foreign to me. all i really know is i'm going to need a plug-in mouse. those touch pad things (great technical terminology, i know) piss me off. i'm great at opening every other program than the one i'm trying to click on...

what mac models would you guys suggest?

Yeah, they're kind of pricey, but have lasted way longer. I also have gotten no viruses, versus my boyfriend's PC has way too many (and I don't have any protection software). I was kind of upset when I saw the AZCOM requires it, because you really don't need it with a Mac (the tech guys can explain why probably a whole lot better than I can). Anyhoots, my point is that extra money made the difference. Apple offers students discounts, so make sure you use that!!! You need an ID and an email address, but I bet you could tell them you just got in and only have an email address and they'd be cool with that. Oh, and they have everything in stock, so you go in and look at all the models (probably only 7) and you walk out the door with it. No waiting for it to be mailed. Definitely set aside an hour or two when you're there so you can make sure you get everything you want! I have the PowerBook G4 (which now has a different name because it has a pentium processer chip in it) and my sister has the most upgraded model, which I'm totally jealous of but don't need any of its extra features. My mom has a lower end model (they're a white plastic instead of metal-type) and is crazy about hers. Mine was like $1600, my sister's $2300, and my mom's was like $1000. Whatever you get you'll be fine, because even the lowest end Mac has more than many higher end PC (according to my computer-nerd uncle).

I bought an external mouse and keyboard at first, and have never used them because the touchpad and keyboard are way easier to use than I thought (thought I'd die without a 10-key, nerdy, yes). Okay, some last pieces of advice for those in the market:
1) In the summer they offer a special for students where with the purchase of a laptop you get a free iPod and a free printer (I got a printer/scanner/copier combo and LOVE it). If you don't want one or both of these products, they'll credit your bill that amount, so that and the student discount really knock down your price (or get cool free stuff) if you can wait.
2) You'll need windows office for mac (which is even better than for PC), it's like $200 at the mac store, if you're still at a major college (or know someone who is), they can get it for free to under $50 probably.
3) Wait to buy your keyboard and mouse until you've tried it out for awhile and decide you can't live without it!
4) Vistas operates like Tiger has been working for years (Mac operating system) so it's better to get a Mac if that's what you like about a PC.

Okay, I'll stop, but can you tell I think everyone should have one!!! Good luck!

 

[azcom07]

azcom07--what are your cross streets?

anyone else trying to work their way through the financial aid stuff and stumped over which lender to use? are you planning on using the school or someone else?

35th ave. and union hills.

 

[Pooh Chong]

Sallie Mae is not that great of a lending company. They will sell your loans, and I do have a classmate that had his loans sold. If you don't know what that means, then search and find out. Their bonus sucks too. I'm not sure about Sallie Mae, but did you know that some companies will consider your deferment as a missed payment which would then preclude you from the bonus? One important thing is to know what percentage of people actually get the bonus, and whether that bonus is better than another companies bonus.

I, personally, chose northstar.org and went with their Stafford Loan program (The Higher Education) and Graduate Plus.

Check the financial aid forum or search google

You borrow the same money, you pay back different amounts. I will be paying back considerably less than some of my classmates for the same amount of borrowed money.